A BURGLAR who broke into a number of houses to get money for drugs, food and shelter has been provided with accommodation – in a prison.

Robert Maxwell pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary at a Coventry home, and asked for eight further burglaries to be taken into consideration when he appeared at the crown court in Leamington.

Maxwell, aged 31 – a ‘three strikes’ burglar of no fixed address – was jailed for two years and ten months.

Prosecutor Alexander Barnfield said that on June 4 Maxwell broke into a house in Warwick Avenue, Coventry, during the afternoon while the owners were out.

He got in by forcing open the rear patio door and stole a games console, a laptop computer, a camcorder and a watch worth a total of £1,150.

But he was arrested after his fingerprints were found on the box which had contained the watch.

Although Maxwell made no comment when he was then interviewed, he later admitted the offence and went on to tell the police about a further six house burglaries and two burglaries at commercial premises which he had committed.

Mr Barnfield added that Maxwell had ‘a record of some length’, with a string of previous convictions for 87 offences including a number of thefts and burglaries.

Justin Jarmola, defending, asked for him to be given credit for his plea and for his co-operation with the police in a desire to ‘clear the slate’.

He said Maxwell had a long-standing drug habit which had led to him becoming homeless and committing a large number of acquisitive offences.

He added that Maxwell committed the offences to get money not only for drugs, ‘but also for food and sometimes shelter’.